Community News

Artist-at-Sea Exhibit

The Aquarium of the Pacific will display an exhibit of artwork from the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea program from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through May 31.The exhibit features artwork made from and inspired by the science done on the Falkor, the institute’s research vessel. Media include watercolor paintings, drawings, photography, fiber art, comics and data visualizations by artists Rebecca Rutstein, Molly Homberg Brown, Kirsten Carlson, Michelle Schwengel-Regala and others.

For information and tickets, call (562) 590-3100.

Lowdown on the High Seas

Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, will discuss “The Lowdown on the High Seas: What We Don’t Know about the Oceans Can Kill Us” on Monday, March 19, at 7 p.m. at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

The land is intrinsically connected and dependent on the ocean, which covers 71 percent of Earth’s surface. Any threat to the ocean is a threat to all of us. This is why we need to understand our oceans, as they govern our systems and play an important role in our future. Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, will discuss how philanthropy can impact ocean science and conservation.

Phone (562) 590-3100 for tickets and information.

Neighborhood Meeting

Artcraft Manor/Stearns Park Neighbors are having a community meeting on March 22 where city information, neighborhood information and concerns  will be discussed and questions will be taken from the audience . The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Stearns Park Social Hall. For information please call (562) 716-6829.

Night at the Races

Soroptimist International of Long Beach is holding its second annual Night At The Races at Los Alamitos Race Course on Saturday, March 24, 5-9:00 p.m. Guests are invited to don spats and pearls for this year’s theme: “Guys and Dolls.” The event will raise money to fund educational grants and scholarships for local women building a better life for themselves and their families.

The $100 ticket includes admission to the Race Course & Vessel’s Club, dinner and no-host bar, live and silent auction, and private mutuel window. Auction items include 2 round-trip domestic tickets on Southwest Airlines, a year’s supply of pies from Polly’s Pies, Winner’s Circle photo opportunity, Santa Anita race track tour and THUMS tour with lunch at Fuego.

Come wine, dine and play the ponies and help improve the lives of local women and girls. For more information, go to www.soroptimist-longbeach.org.

Dancing for Our Stars

To continue providing compassionate care to families, the 10th Annual “Dancing for Our Stars” Gala will raise funds to support the Perinatal Connections Program at the Cherese Mari Laulhere BirthCare Center at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach.

Based on the television series Dancing with the Stars, the gala pairs five prominent community members or physicians with professional dancers, or their significant other, to compete in a dance competition all while supporting a good cause. This gala raises funds not through live and silent auctions, but by collecting votes from the crowd.

The gala will take place Saturday, March 24 at the Long Beach Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom. Participants include Georgia and Jose Arellan, Cheri Busch, Brian and Monika Dowd, Walter and Julie Larkins and DeDe Rossi. Equal weight will be given to the pre-event fundraising, event night fundraising and judges’ scores to crown the overall winner. Once the winner is announced, all attendees will be invited to the dance floor to strut their stuff. This event is open to the public. For sponsorship information or tickets, call (562) 933-1660 or visit memorialcare.org/dfos2018.

Good Friday Breakfast

The 50th Annual YMCA Good Friday Breakfast will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom on March 30, 7:15-9 a.m. Registration information for this event can be found at LBymca.org. Although the Y celebrates its Judeo-Christian heritage, this event is open to all.

The 2018 Breakfast will feature Keynote Speaker Senior Pastor and Founder of Rock Church, San Diego, Miles McPherson.  Pastor McPherson played four years in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers from 1982-1985. It was during this time that he developed a cocaine addiction that found the NFL star reduced to regularly visiting the seedy neighborhoods of San Diego to feed his habit. In his second season in the NFL and after a weekend-long drug binge, he called out to Jesus Christ, accepted Him and stopped doing drugs in one day.

Rodgers, Hart Tribute

Long Beach’s Primetime Players is presenting its 2018 Spring Show, “A Tribute to the Song Writing Team of Rodgers & Hart,” directed by Ann Martin, which will be performed at several Long Beach and Lakewood senior centers and venues during the month of April. Free admission; donations are welcomed.

For further information, please contact Barbara Klein at (562) 433-1734 or byrdbud2@verizon.net.

Light It Up Blue

Join MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach to “Light It Up Blue” in honor of Autism Awareness Month. At a special ceremony on Wednesday, April 4, from noon to 1 p.m., Gary Feldman, M.D., medical director, Stramski Children’s Developmental Center, Miller Children’s & Women’s, will speak on the impact of autism. Sensory activities will be available for kids to enjoy. Attendees are encouraged to wear blue for a special photo opportunity. All attendees will receive a commemorative gift.

It will be held at the Miller Children’s & Women’s Pavilion, 2801 Atlantic Ave.

Jazz Showcase

Millikan High School with its Orch-A-Band parent booster club, is hosting the 23rd annual Long Beach Schools Jazz Showcase on Wednesday, April 11, 3-9 p.m. in the auditorium of Millikan High School, 2800 Snowden Ave.

This event will showcase the outstanding musical talent of Long Beach students. Entrance fee is $5.00 per person; children under 5 are free. Food and refreshments will be available. Contact Rudolf Picanco, band director, for more information (562) 425-7441 ext. 4142.

Embroiderers

The Long Beach Chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America, Inc will meet on Friday, March 23, at 11 a.m. At noon, Cara Varnell, art conservator specialist in preservation of textiles to discuss how to preserve and store textiles/embroidery and what makes museum-quality work.

Location is Building QQ, Room 122, at the Long Beach City College Pacific Coast Campus. Info: (714) 345-2338.

Walking Tour

Long Beach Heritage’ s Monthly Walking Tour of Historic Willmore City will take place on Saturday, March 24. Home to the impressive Victorian Queen Anne Bembridge House and numerous smaller examples of this style, Willmore City was the first residential development in Long Beach.

The tour is held the fourth Saturday of every month except December, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Bembridge House, 953 Park Circle, and takes 2-2.5 hours

Call (562) 493-7019 for details.

Live After 5

Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA) is bringing back the popular monthly Live After 5 series, a curated series of live entertainment aimed at engaging workers, residents and visitors through an evening of live music, art activations and other entertainment opportunities within downtown. The series is scheduled for the third Thursday of the month, 5-9 p.m. and will feature one of the five downtown neighborhoods each month.

The upcoming schedule includes:

April 19 - Pine Ave & Promenade

May 17 – East Village

June 21 - Waterfront

July 19 – Wilmore & West Gateway

August 16 – North Pine

September 20 - Pine Ave & Promenade

Complementing each evening’s line-up, The Loop at Pine and Ocean will serve as a hub for information for that evening’s entertainment in addition to offering live music, food, beer and wine.

To learn more about Live After 5 and other DLBA programs, visit www.downtownlongbeach.org or call (562) 436-4259. For a list of entertainment and detailed map, visit www.liveafterfive.org.

Annual President’s Party

The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), will celebrate the third annual President’s Party on Saturday, April 28. The benefit honors CSULB President Jane Close Conoley’s continuous commitment to arts education and celebrates the Carpenter Center’s achievements in engaging the community through artistic, educational and cultural experiences by making the arts accessible to a wide audience.

Party-goers will attend a celebratory pre-show reception followed by a performance by Grammy Award-winner and Kennedy Center Honoree Mavis Staples. The reception will take place on the Carpenter Center stage starting at 6 p.m. where guests can enjoy appetizers, desserts, champagne and photo-opportunities with President Conoley and Ms. Staples.

Tickets for the President’s Party are $125, which includes an exclusive pre-performance party with President Conoley and Ms. Staples, champagne, appetizers, dessert and premium seating for the Mavis Staples performance. Patrons wishing to see Mavis Staples perform but not attend the party may purchase single tickets to the show for $50-$75. For tickets or more information, visit CarpenterArts.org or call the Carpenter Center Ticket Office at (562) 985-7000.